Finding Home
by secretofflameviii8
Summary: Ventus was an orphan who was taken in by Eraqus. He always wanted to find his birth parents and he finally found his father. Now he is on his way to meet him. although what he finds is not what he was expecting. Side pairing: VanVen
1. Unexpected

**Chapter 1**

**Unexpected**

The first rays of sunlight peeked through Ventus's bedroom window. The boy had been sleeping nearly the whole morning away. The night before had been busy with packing and final goodbye's to his best friend. There was a small knock at the door. "Ven! If you don't get up now you'll miss the train." A female voice rang from outside the door. Ventus only stirred a little bit. Quite content in sleeping. The light knock came again. When there was no answer she let herself in. She was a tall and fit young adult with short blue hair and blue eyes. She shook her head at the sight of her little blonde friend. To be more precise they were more like family. The two of them including two other people lived together like a proper family.

She shook him lightly until she could see the blue of his eyes. "G'morning Aqua" Ventus said sleepily. Aqua smiled warmly. "Ven, you hopeless sleepy head. Your going to miss your train if you don't get ready soon." She said. Ven's eyes widened. "Oh yea! I don't wanna be late!" He said jumping out of bed.

"breakfast is ready." She said as she left the room. "Okay." Ventus replied. He dressed as fast as he could and came almost running to the dinning room. "I made your favorite. Eggs and french toast." Aqua said as Ven sat down to eat. "Thanks Aqua! I'm sure gonna miss your cooking." He said while putting a mouth full of eggs in his mouth. At that moment Terra walked in. He was a well built tall male with brown hair and blue eyes. "Good morning Ven." He said ruffling Ventus's spikey blonde hair as he walked by. "Good Morning Terra." Ventus replied. When Ventus was finished he put his dishes in the sink and grabbed his backpack and duffel bag.

"Do you have everything you need? Tooth brush, comb, your lunch pack, extra pa..."

"I got everything Aqua. You don't have to worry." Ventus interrupted her.

"Alright then are we all set?" Terra asked.

"Yes but this time I'll drive." Aqua replied.

Ventus lived in a small town on the side of a mountain known as twilight town. It was a quaint little town. But he had not always lived there. He as well as Terra and Aqua were orphan's who where taken in my Master Eraqus who ran a small Dojo. He was a strict teacher and a strict care giver. Ventus who was painfully aware that he did not have or know his birth parents, wanted to find them desperately and it wasn't until a month after he turned sixteen that he had found where his birth father lived. With the permission of his guardian he was now on his way to meet his real father. For years he had envisioned what his birth parents were like. Always wondering what they looked like what their personalities were like.

When they finally arrived at the Train station Ventus grabbed all of his items and said his goodbyes to his two closest friends. He gave them both the worlds biggest hugs. "Wish me luck!" Ventus said cheerfully. "Of course Ven, good luck and be safe." Aqua replied.

The train ride took quite a while, about a three day ride on the Twilight Express. By the time Ventus had gotten off the train and retrieved his luggage it was nearly four thirty in the afternoon. He was very nervous but excited too. This was his first time to the Destiny Islands. He was set for the small town of New Bohdum. Which was about a half an hour away from the local Train Station.

He looked around him taking in the scenery. Everything was so different here. The sights, smells and people were much different than back home. The slight breeze filled his nose with the sent of freshly cooked fish from the nearby restaurants and the salty ocean just beyond. There were many shops all lined up along the streets selling everything from paintings to jewelery and beachwear. Ventus pulled out a small piece of paper and looked at the address written on it. That would be where his father lived. He took a deep breath. "okay." He said to himself and set out to find a taxi.

Ventus arrived at his destination at just about five o'clock in the afternoon and as he made his way up the driveway to the front door his stomach tightened and his nerves were at last getting the best of him. _Stay calm Ventus, you can do this._ He thought to himself. The House was huge. It looked just like those really rich house's you'd find on the beach-side. Ventus couldn't have imagined that his father was wealthy. Unless he had the wrong address but he didn't think so. It took months of research to find any traces of his birth parents. He hadn't really planned out what he would say. How could he? It's not everyday a teenager comes up to your door saying: Hello I'm your son. But Ventus had wanted to meet his father so badly. He breathed in deeply and exhaled slowly and then knocked on the door.

The door opened widely to reveal an extremely tall and muscular man. He had blonde hair that was covered by a bandana and blue eyes. He wore a v-neck red shirt and a tan trench coat. Ventus could feel himself shrinking under the impressive size of this guy. He had seen a couple of pictures of his birth father but that was only pictures. It made Ventus feel ten times shorter than what he already was.

"Can I help you?" The man asked.

Ventus didn't respond right away. He was still trying to compute how tall the guy was. That and he was trying to form something in his brain to say. He was beginning to really wish that he had not come alone. _If only Vanitas had come along._ He thought. Vanitas was his long time best friend who had stuck by him through thick and thin.

"Hello, My name is Ventus and I've been searching for you for a long time." He finally said deciding on those words.

The man gave Ventus a funny look and then one of understanding. "Oh I see, you came for an autograph. Didn't you?" He asked.

Ventus had read up on his birth father. His name was Snow Villiers and he was a football player. Although Ventus didn't realize it was a very famous football team that his father was on. Ventus shook his head.

"No, I'm not here for an autograph. I have something very important to talk you about." Ventus said.

He knew that he was beating around the bush. Ventus felt almost to afraid to say, I'm your son. Would the man believe him? Would he just shut the door on him? Ventus didn't know and that's what scared him. The very fact that he did not know how this man would react. Maybe it was a bad idea after all. It was starting to get darker and yet Ventus still had gotten nowhere.

"Well then what is it that you want from me kid?" Snow asked.

"I wanted to meet you and get to know who my father is. I wanted just to at the very least meet my father." There he said it. He finally said it. His father.

"What? Father? I think you have the wrong house." Snow said.

"No I am positive that I have the right address." Ventus replied half shakily.

This wasn't going well and Ventus could feel his emotions starting to emerge from the pit of his stomach and well up into one of his, as Vanitas would call it, cry baby faces.

Snow feeling somewhat bad for the teenager in front of him scratched the back of his head. "Well come on in. It's get'en late maybe you could call your parents to come and pick you up. You came here alone right? I don't see anyone with you." Snow said and stepped aside to let Ventus in.

Ventus walked into a small foyer and into a large living room. The house looked unkept to say the least. There was another person there. He was just as muscular as Snow but maybe a little more so. He had a tuft of orange hair that stuck up on the front of his head that went to the back and the sides were shaved into a zigzag design.

"Hey Gadot we have another guest." Snow said entering the room. Ventus followed slowly. He was really beginning to think that he had made a mistake. But still, he was here and there was no changing that.

Snow plopped himself on the couch and made himself comfy. "come have a seat kiddo. Then we can talk." He said to Ventus.

Ventus made his way over to a chair that wasn't too close to either Snow or Gadot and set his items next to it. He held onto a small bag that held a very important document.

"Now then, where's your home maybe I can drop you off there." Snow began.

Ventus shook his head. "I can't get home tonight. The Train that I took doesn't come back this way for a few days." Ventus replied. Ventus then proceeded to pull out the document that would prove without a doubt that Snow was his father, His birth certificate.

"I have something to show you. I brought it as proof. It may have been selfish of me to seek you out but I really wanted to meet you and I couldn't find anything on my mother." Ventus continued.

Ventus handed the document over to snow who looked at it carefully and sure enough in bold letters his full name was displayed next to the word father. Snow was shocked to say the least. Gadot felt very confused by what was going on between the two of them. He could also sense the change in snow.

"Hey I'm gonna call it a night. I'll see you later at the big game okay?" Gadot said and quickly left sensing that his presence would make things more awkward than what they already were.

"So it is true? After all these years and she never told me? How old are you?" Snow asked.

"I'm sixteen." Ventus replied.

"Sixteen years and not a single word? If I had known that you existed..." Snow trailed off.

That night Ventus slept in one of the spare rooms. It was a moderately average sized room that was set up as a guest room. He laid there almost wide awake. There was so much information buzzing around in his head. How could he sleep? None the less he tried to sleep and he finally fell asleep sometime after midnight.

When Ventus first woke up he thought that he was still back at home until he couldn't smell Aqua's usual cooking or hear the sound of the busyness of twilight town. Then he heard it. The most dreadful hardcore rock he had ever heard. This snapped him out of his sleepiness. He was use to hearing rock because of Vanitas who if you didn't personally know him you'd stay as far away from Vanitas as possible because he just had that aura about him. But the sound of this particular music was enough to give even Vanitas a headache. Not to mention it was loud. Very loud.

Ventus got up and got dressed and made his way downstairs. He found the source of this music. It was a large stereo that was in a workout room that snow was currently utilizing. Snow got up and turned the music off.

"Good morning, I was just doing a little warm up." He said.

"Good morning." Ventus replied.

Snow walked into the kitchen and took out a protein shake. "Would you like one too?" he asked.

"S-sure." Ventus replied.

Snow pulled out a second one and slide it across the counter towards Ventus. Looking around the kitchen Ventus noticed quite a few dirty dishes piled up. Snow opened his can and drank it pretty much in one shot then he crunched the can which made Ventus flinch and he threw it making a perfect landing in the garbage can. Ventus opened his can and took a small sip of the liquid inside. It was a chocolate flavor but somehow it didn't taste very much like chocolate and Ventus wondered if that was why Snow had just downed the drink instead of taking the time to drink it like a normal person.

"So then where should we begin." Snow started.

Just then Snow's cell phone went off and he held up his hand gesturing to wait a minute. Ventus took sips of the increasingly nasty tasting drink as he only half listened to Snow talk to, whoever he was talking to. He had showed Snow his birth certificate the night before and they had a long talk about the fact that they were father and son in which the fact that Ventus really, truly was Snow's biological son finally sunk in. Snow had told Ventus that he was welcome to stay as long as he liked as long as it didn't interfere with Ventus's schooling. The one condition though, was Ventus had to call Snow by his given name. He could not call him Dad or any version there of. Summer had just began so school didn't start up for another two months. Ventus didn't have to worry about that. But on the other hand when snow told Ventus not to call him Dad it took him by surprise. The truth was, it hurt when Ventus was told that but Ventus supposed it was only right since they had only just met even if they were father and son or at least that's what he told himself.

Snow got off the phone. "I'm sorry Kiddo but I have to leave." He said as he began rushing about the house to get himself together. "See you later." He said as he walked out the front door.

Ventus just stood there still holding the drink that he was given. It was then that Ventus decided that Snow was the type of person who did everything five hundred miles a minute. It certainly wasn't what he had envisioned. But what exactly was it that he was looking for anyway?


	2. Not According to Plan

**Here's chapter two. I hope everyone enjoys. Let me know what you think and leave a review. It helps get chapters up faster. Constructive criticism is welcome. I'm sorry if the chapters are not posted to close to each other but life is really busy for me right now but, don't worry this story will continue and be finished. **

* * *

**Chapter Two**

**Not According To Plan**

Ventus finished drinking the awful tasting drink even though he really didn't want to but, he figured it would be and insult and a waste not to finish it. He just decided that he wouldn't drink anymore of it in the future. He got himself ready to leave the house. It was lonely there and he felt like a stranger in a house he did not belong in. _Maybe when Snow comes back things will change for the better? _Ventus thought as he put his shoes on and grabbed his messenger bag. He left a message explaining that he went out for a while along with his cell phone number. Ventus locked and shut the front door and proceeded down the driveway. He stopped for a moment realizing that Snow hadn't given him a key. In fact Snow really hadn't done much of anything except act surprised for a bit and then like everything was perfectly normal. Ventus shook his head and continued walking. He was sure that Snow would be back soon or hoped he would be anyway. Ventus walked for awhile until he came to the beach. It was a beautiful sight. One he had been wanting to truly take in since he had arrived in New Bohdum.

It was just mid morning so the sun was up and shinning brightly in the big blue sky. It was a lot warmer than in Twilight Town. A warmth that Ventus was not use to and he was already sweating some. The ocean looked as if it went on forever. Ventus made his way closer to the water. It was difficult at first to walk in the shifting sand in his tennis shoes. Especially since he was not accustom to walking in sand period but, the beauty of the beach overcame the annoyance of the sand. He found a spot not to far away from the waves that lapped the shore and yet not to close either. Even though it was pretty he did not feel like getting wet. He could see not to far in the distance a small island. It looked neat and Ventus wondered if anyone ever went there. He began to think of what it would have been like to come here with his father. Did Snow even like the beach? It was such a peaceful slow paced place that Ventus didn't think Snow even would have appreciated it much less have fun there. He could feel his face fall. Snow, what was going on inside his head? Did it matter that his long lost son had come to visit? Did it mean anything at all to him? Ventus felt brushed aside as if it really didn't matter that he had showed up in the first place. It had only been five days since he had seen or heard from Aqua, Vanitas or Terra and he found himself starting to miss them already. He had been caught up in the excitement of meeting his father that he didn't miss them at first but now here he was wishing that he hadn't come. He could feel the tears starting to well up in his eyes and he scrunched his legs to his chest and hid his face in his arms.

"Hey there, are you okay?"

Ventus looked up quickly. He had not expected anyone to approach him. He really hadn't seen a lot of people there to begin with.

"I-I'm okay." Ventus said as he wiped the remaining tears from his eyes.

The stranger squatted next to him. He had brown spiky hair and blue eyes. If Ventus were to stand next to him the boy who looked to be a little younger than himself would have been a few inches taller.

"If you say so. Are you new around here? I haven't seen you before." The new comer asked.

Ventus nodded his head. "I arrived here last night."

"Well then, welcome! I'm Sora and I live not to far from here, What's your name?" Sora asked.

Ventus's spirit lifted a little and he smiled a small somewhat unsure smile. "My name is Ventus but you can call me Ven for short. It's nice to meet you Sora." Ventus replied.

"Are you here by yourself?" Sora asked.

"Yes, I came here to Destiny Islands to meet someone but..." Ventus trailed off.

Sora looked at Ventus with concern and then put a big smile on his face. "Hey if your not doing anything would you like to hang out for a bit? I could show you around town." Sora said hoping to cheer up Ventus.

"Sure" Ventus replied.

"Soooora! Where are you? I'm not bringing your boat back again." A new voice called out.

"Oh yea, coming Riku!" Sora said as he jumped up from his sitting position and began to run off but he stopped short and turned back. "Hey are you coming?" He asked Ventus.

Ventus smiled and then nodded. He got up and followed Sora to where this Riku was.

"About time you got here slowpoke." Riku said

Sora stuck his tongue out at Riku and then smiled. "I'm not a slowpoke!" He replied.

Sora brought Ventus up to Riku. "Ventus this is my best friend Riku and Riku this is Ventus. He's here visiting someone." Sora said happily.

"Nice to meet you." Ventus said.

"Likewise." Riku replied.

Ventus spent most of the day with Sora and Riku. They both seemed like really nice people. Sora especially. Riku was a little harder to get along with because he seemed to be rather shy or rather that was what Ventus decided on. However Riku was still very kind and considerate. He seemed to tease Sora an awful lot. Ventus could relate to Sora in that way. Vanitas was always teasing him, always. But he knew Vanitas didn't mean anything bad by it. That was just the way Vanitas showed his affection. Sora and Riku had shown him around town. Pointing out all the best places to eat and shop. Even though it was busy it seemed like such a peaceful place. Ventus longed to show his friends this place.

"So how long will you be staying?" Sora asked.

"Well, I really don't know but at the most just until summer ends." Ventus replied.

Sora had bought the three of them each an ice cream bar. Ventus at first objected because he didn't want Sora spending money on him but Sora had insisted especially since Ventus had never eaten Sea Salt ice cream before. So Ventus took the offer and now the three of them sat at an outside table near the cafe they bought the ice cream from.

"How could you not know the exact time you'll be here for?" Riku asked.

Ventus lowered his ice cream bar and got that same look of hurt Sora had seen earlier. "Well it's sort of complicated." Ventus answered.

"How so?" Sora asked and then took a bite out of his ice cream bar.

Ventus thought for a moment on how he wanted to explain this. He wasn't too ready to tell them that he was an orphan. He usually got two very different responses from people. One: they would pity him or two: they would look down on him. Either way he was treated differently and he did not want that with these two of whom he believed could be possible friends, at least he hoped.

"The person I came to meet didn't know I was coming." Ventus said.

"Ooh," Sora replied.

"Do you have a phone?" Sora asked. Ventus nodded.

"Okay, let me put my number in there. If you'd like to hang out anytime just give me a call. The most I'll be doing is hanging out with this guy." Sora said pointing over to Riku with his thumb and closed fingers.

"Only if you both don't mind the company." Ventus replied shyly.

"Of course I don't mind." Sora said with a smile.

Ventus looked over to Riku waiting for approval. Riku smiled too. "I don't mind either. Although, what am I going to do with two Sora's." He said.

They all laughed at that.

Sora took Ventus's phone and put his number in. "There now you can call anytime." Sora said with a smile.

Ventus took his phone and put it away. He had started the day very unsure and not very hopeful but maybe, just maybe things would turn out alright.

"Thanks for everything guys. It was a lot of fun today." Ventus said as he put his messenger bag on and stood. It was starting to get late and even though Snow had not called him he thought he should be heading back. Sora and Riku said their goodbyes and Ventus was left to walk back to his new home for the next... however long he'd be staying.

Sora walked through the front door of his house and plopped on the couch. It had been quite a day. He even made a new friend. He looked at the clock. It was almost six. He had found the note that his mother had left him. She had gone to the store. His father he knew wouldn't be home for another hour. His mother was a school teacher so she, like Sora had the summer off. His father was a doctor. They lived in a very nice home. It was more than a little average because of the field his father worked in so they could afford a nice place. He heard the front door open and his mother walked in holding a few bags.

She had pink hair that was in a half ponytail positioned to the side and bright blue eyes. Sora jumped up and grabbed the few bags from her that she was carrying. "I got those Mom." Sora said. His mother smiled warmly towards her son.

"Why thank you Sora. So how has your day been? Do anything fun?" She asked.

Sora nodded his head as he began unpacking the bags. "I met someone new today. He's new around here, said he was visiting someone. Riku thinks he acts like me." Sora replied.

"That sounds nice. If you guys get along, you should invite him over sometime. I'd like to meet your new friend." She said.

"Sure, I wonder if Ven would like to visit. He seemed somewhat shy but, he was really easy to talk with." Sora said.

Ventus had arrived back at his father's house but he had not gone back in. he was standing on the other side of the street just staring at the scene in front of him. There were many cars parked in and around the driveway. Loud music was booming from within with many people outside and inside the large house. It had to be a party of some sort or celebration but, what could it have been for? Ventus was a little scared to approach the house. He worked up as much courage as he could muster and walked towards the property. Most of the people outside paid him no mind and when he reached the front door it was unlocked. He braced himself and walked in.

The house looked trashed to say the least. There were so many people Ventus felt like he had been packed into a can of sardines. Where was Snow? Ventus made his way through the living room bumping into many people. Most of them seemed drunk. He finally found Snow sitting on the couch with a girl next to him and a few other people sitting around them. When Snow spotted Ventus he welcomed him cheerfully.

"hey there kiddo." He said. Ventus did not know what to make of the scene nor did he know how to react.

"Everyone this is the kid I was telling you about. My friends brother who will be staying with me." Snow continued.

Ventus felt frozen to the spot. Just as promised Snow was denying the fact that Ventus was his son in front of all these people. He wanted to react but the words wouldn't come.

"He look's rather puny." The girl said.

"Aw babe don't be to hard on 'em. He's a good boy, he is." Snow said clearly drunk.

The woman had blue eyes and short blonde hair with two pieces sticking up and going in the same direction as the rest of her hair. They almost looked like curled horns. It seemed to match her personality.

"Why don't you go make yourself useful elsewhere and not bother us." She said.

"Come on Larxine lets let Ventus join in our celebration." Snow said as he pulled his large arm around Ventus causing Ventus to fall onto the couch. Snow pulled him close as if to hug him. Ventus could smell the alcohol or what ever it was Snow had been drinking. "Someone pass me another drink!" Snow yelled to be heard over the music.

Soon Snow held a plastic cup of some sort of adult drink and passed it to Ventus. Ventus wouldn't have took it except if he hadn't it would have ended up all over his clothes. It was all becoming too much. The music was still as loud as ever. People were passing by and dancing; drinking and laughing. The smell in the air was thick with alcohol and other assorted mixed drinks. Ventus put the drink his father had given him on the ground. He wanted no part of drinking. As soon as Snow had loosened his hold on Ventus and his attention elsewhere Ventus slipped away and headed to his room. He opened the door and then immediately slammed it shut closing his eyes tightly. _You have got to be kidding me! _He thought. He had caught a pair of people doing what Vanitas liked to call, the dirty. Was there no where safe in this house? Ventus took off almost running out the back door and kept on running until he couldn't run anymore. He found a bench and sat down hanging his head low. He felt like crying. All of the hurt and all of the doubt was surfacing. He didn't want to go home, not yet. He wanted desperately to reach his father but how could he? It was then that his cell phone started ringing. Ventus looked at the caller id and saw it was Aqua. _Perfect timing. _He thought. He cleared his throat and tried to force his feelings back into his gut.

"Hello." Ventus said

"Hello Ven." Aqua's said back. Her voice was soothing and more than welcomed. Ventus closed his eyes.

"How's everything going? Have you met your father?" She asked for starters.

"Everything's going great. I met him Aqua and he's very nice. He's even letting me stay for the summer. We've spent a lot of time together already." Ventus lied. How could he tell Aqua the truth. If she knew, she'd demand he come home right away.

"Really?" She didn't sound overly convinced. Maybe it was the small shakiness in his voice or the fact that his words sounded to... fake? Would that be the word?

"Yeah there's nothing to worry about. How's everything with you guys?" Ventus asked to try and avoid talking anymore about his father.

"We're dong fine Ven. Oh and the Master has gone on one of his long trips so he won't be back until close to when school start's up again or at least that's the planned time." Aqua said.

Ventus talked with her for a few more minutes until he ended the conversation and hung up. He didn't feel like he could keep up the lie for much longer. He slipped his phone in his pocket and then scrunched his knees to his chest with his arms around them. He was small enough to fit on the bench like that. He looked up at the sky admiring the stars. It was comforting and it reminded him of home.

He was startled by his phone ringing inside his pocket about twenty minutes later. He again looked at the caller id and it was Vanitas. He knew he was in for it. Nothing, absolutely nothing got passed Vantias. Ventus answered the phone.

"Hello." he said.

"Lying now are we?" Vanitas said not even bothering to say hello. This caught Ventus off guard.

"Wha- what do you mean?" Ventus asked.

"Don't play dumb Idiot. I just got off the phone with Aqua. She called me because she was concerned about you. She didn't think you were being straight with her. Now spill it or I'll make sure your happy ass makes it back here weather you like it or not." Vanitas said.

"I... Vanitas if I tell you, promise you won't tell Aqua or Terra." Ventus said seriously.

"I could care less about what those two want to know. You have my word." Vanitas said.

Ventus then proceeded to tell Vanitas everything that had happened. Vanitas listened quietly.

"Now that's better. Lying was never something you could pull off. I'll tell them that there's nothing wrong for you but, in exchange you will not lie to me." Vanitas said.

It sounded like a fair trade so Ventus agreed. He knew Vanitas would now be calling more often than usual. It wasn't like Vanitas was a stalker or obsessed but when he felt that Ventus was threatened and he couldn't be in the immediate area Vanitas made sure to keep in constant contact with Ventus. It was one of the ways he showed that he cared. Ventus found it both endearing and annoying. Although talking with Aqua and Vanitas didn't make him feel any better about his current situation. What was he going to do, spend the night on the bench? Ventus talked to Vanitas for a few more minutes until Vanitas's parent guardian Xehenort came home. He sighed heavily and pulled out the star charm Aqua had made for him awhile back. There was no way he was going back to Snow's house tonight.


End file.
